No. 17 Duke hosts NC State at Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium on Saturday night.
Kickoff is set for 8 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on ACC Network.
This year's game marks the 84th on the gridiron between the two schools with Duke leading the series, 41-37-5. Duke's first win over the Wolfpack came on Nov. 17, 1928, when the Blue Devils secured a 14-12 victory in Raleigh. NC State won the teams' last meeting on Oct. 17, 2020 after it scored 17 unanswered points to register the 31-20 victory. Duke's last win over NC State occurred on Nov. 9, 2013 when DeVon Edwards scored three touchdowns — two on interception returns in a span of 16 seconds in the fourth quarter — to help Duke to a 38-20 victory. Edwards also had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown late in the third quarter.
Duke will honor its 2013 team that claimed the ACC Coastal Division Championship on Saturday. The Blue Devils registered a 10-4 overall record and 6-2 mark in conference play and finished 22nd in the USA Today/Coaches Poll, 23rd in the Associated Press Poll and 24th in the BCS final national rankings.
The Blue Devils are 4-1 to start the year for the second consecutive season. Over the last 10 years, Duke has started 4-1 six times and began the year 4-1 in back-to-back season on three occasions (2014-15, 2017-18, and 2022-23).
Saturday's ACC Network broadcast will feature Wes Durham, Tim Hasselbeck, and Taylor Tannebaum on the call.
GAME NOTES
Duke's one loss this year was by seven points. There are currently 29 schools nationally with one loss, with 10 of those losses being by seven or less points. Duke's mark trails Toledo (2), Miami (3), Oregon State (3), Texas (4), and Fresno State (5) and is tied with Marshall (7), Memphis (7), Ohio (7) and UCLA (7).
Under head coach Mike Elko, Duke has won the turnover battle in 12 of its 18 games and has scored 115 points off those turnovers (15 touchdowns, three field goals and one two-point conversion).
The Blue Devils rank in the top half of the ACC in both scoring offense (32.6 ppg; 6th) and defense (11.2 ppg; 1st). They are one of two ACC schools averaging 30.0 points per game and allowing just 15.0 points per outing. Miami joins Duke with marks of 39.0 ppg and 14.6 ppg, respectively.
The Blue Devils have only been nationally ranked once when facing the Wolfpack with the contest ending in a 14-14 tie on Oct. 26, 1957. Duke was ranked No. 4, while NC State held a No. 11 national ranking.
DUKE'S RUN GAME
The Blue Devils rank 23rd nationally and second in the ACC in rushing offense, averaging 199.40 yards per outing. In the conference, they trail Miami's mark of 211.00. Additionally, Duke ranks tied for fourth in the country in rushing touchdowns (16), 13th in yards per rush (5.48) and 40th in rushing yards (997). In the ACC, those marks rank the Blue Devils first, second, and sixth, respectively.
QB Riley Leonard and RBs Jordan Waters and Jaquez Moore are averaging 6.9, 5.8 and 5.6 rushing yards per carry, respectively.
LOST YARDAGE
The Blue Devils have only relinquished 58 rushing yards on the year, marking the second fewest in the ACC behind Miami's 47.
CALHOUN BACK FOR PUNTS
For the second consecutive season, redshirt senior Jalon Calhoun is Duke's top option at punt returns. Calhoun finished last year with a team-high nine punt returns for 113 yards (12.6), including a season-high two returns for 41 yards against North Carolina A&T.
Calhoun has seven punt returns for 102 yards so far in 2023 for an average of 14.57 yards per return which ranked third in the ACC and ninth nationally. His punt return yardage places him fourth in the conference, while his punt returns are eighth.
LIMITING PUNT RETURNS
The Blue Devils held opponents to just 74 punt return yards last season. An average of just 5.69 yards per return. The longest return Duke allowed was a 16-yarder against Kansas. Duke's opponent yards per return ranked 37th nationally, and ranked fifth in the ACC behind Virginia Tech (2.91), Miami (3.80), Pittsburgh (4.83) and Louisville (5.52).
In Duke's opening five games of 2023, the Blue Devils have only relinquished 22 yards on eight returns (2.8). That mark ranks them 23rd nationally and third in the ACC.